- Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II has abdicated and handed over the throne to her son Frederik after a 52-year reign.
- The 83-year-old signed her declaration of abdication in Copenhagen, as photos from Christiansborg Palace show.
- Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then proclaimed Frederik X as the new king from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace.
After signing the declaration of abdication, the previous crown prince took his mother’s place at the table. “God save the king,” said Margrethe as she left the hall, then drove back to Amalienborg Palace. The change of throne is now formally completed and the previous Crown Prince Frederik is the new King of Denmark.
Legend:
Margrethe II signs her declaration of abdication in the State Council at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.
Keystone/Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP
At 3 p.m., Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the change of throne on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. A huge crowd was waiting in front of the castle. Queen Margrethe surprisingly announced in her annual New Year’s speech that she wanted to pass the throne on to her eldest son.
She justified the step with major back surgery, which she had to undergo in February 2023. The operation made her think about whether it wasn’t time to pass on responsibility to the next generation, the monarch said in her speech, which is traditionally followed closely by the Danish population on New Year’s Eve.
Legend:
King Frederik X waves from the balcony of the castle.
Keystone/MARTIN MEISSNER
Frederik was visibly moved and had tears in his eyes. In his first speech as the new monarch, he paid tribute to his mother as queen, who will forever be remembered as an exceptional regent. “My hope is to become a unifying king of tomorrow,” said Frederik. “I approach the future with the certainty that I am not alone.”
A huge crowd had gathered in front of the castle for the proclamation, with particularly loud cheers breaking out when Frederik’s wife, Queen Mary (51), and the couple’s four children stepped onto the balcony. Frederik in uniform and Mary, dressed in white, gave each other a loving kiss.
Shortly afterwards, the new royal couple drove back to the palace at Amalienborg Castle in a carriage – accompanied by cheering crowds on the side of the road. The royal family once again greeted the palace square, which was also full to the brim, beaming from the balcony of their palace. In the evening, a large fireworks display at Tivoli, the venerable amusement park in the heart of Copenhagen, lit up the sky over the Danish capital.
Legend:
The monarch is celebrated.
Keystone/Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix via AP
She then announced that she would step down as queen on her 52nd anniversary on the throne on January 14th, leaving the throne to her eldest son. The step is extremely unusual in Denmark: unlike in the Netherlands, for example, it is generally not customary in the Scandinavian royal families to abdicate before death.
According to the royal family in Copenhagen, the last time a Danish regent voluntarily renounced the throne in this way was in 1146. Margrethe herself had repeatedly emphasized that she wanted to fulfill her role until her death – until she finally announced her abdication on New Year’s Eve, to the great surprise of the Danes.